Instructions

Using centimeters, measure your height (the distance from your head to your toes) and your arm span (the distance from the longest finger on your left hand to the longest finger on your right hand). If your height and arm span are about the same, then you're a square. If they're different, you're a rectangle.

Measure some other people too, if you want. We also want to see if it matters how old you are or whether you're a boy or a girl. So collect some data and enter your results through the cool form on this page. When we receive it, we'll add it to data we've received from other ZOOM viewers and calculate the overall results! If you have other thoughts and observations about this ZOOMSci, you can share them by going to the ZOOMSci Feedback section of the site.

You can also send videos and photos of you and your friends collecting data. We'll pick a whole bunch of letters, videos and photos to include on TV or on the web site. Our address is:ZOOM Box 350 Boston, MA 02134

Amanda, age 4 of DE wrote:
It wus square.

Osvaldo, age 9 of Alexandria, VA wrote:
I measured my height and it was 132. Then I measured my arm span and it was 132 so that means that I am a square.

Katy, age 9 of Alexandria wrote:
We measure me and my partner in centimeters and recorded it on a paper then we share it with the class.

Edith and Jonathan, age 9 of Alexandria, VA wrote:
When our class did it more boys were square and more girls were rectangles.

Jaquelin and Estefani, age 10 wrote:
Tall people are rectangles and small people are squares. Most girl were rectangle. Most boy were square.

Mikayla and Willy, age 9 of VA wrote:
I thought I would be a square, and when someone measured me I was a square! Can you belive it!?

Cassandra and Juancarlos, age 9 of VA wrote:
I thought I was going to be a rectangle and I was a rectangle. When they measured me I thought that I was going to be a rectangle but I was a square.

Ms. F of Lexington, NC wrote:
We measured our class and 7 are squares and 12 are rectangles!

Charlie, age 10 of Bedford, UK wrote:
height 148cm arm span 146cm

Tianna, age 10 of Toronto wrote:
My brother is a square and im a rectanle its fun to do I love it I have to do it on my mom and dad.

Luke, age 10 of Lincroft, NJ wrote:
I did the experiment and found out I was a rectangle but the difference between my height and my arm span was only a few inches, and then I saw that among all kids, boys, and 10 year olds, there are more rectangles than squares. It was totally mind-blowing.

Ashley, age 9 of Hummelstown, PA wrote:
I tried it on my class. Most of the girls were squares. While most of the boys were rectangales. When we did it we were in partner goups.

Harley, age 7 of St. John, NF wrote:
I was a rectangle, like most girls in your survey. I am 48 1/2 inches tall and my armspan is 47 inches.

Nicole, age 9 of Chelmsford, MA wrote:
I'm confused, all people have to be squares because your height & armspan are the same lenth. The same number by the same number would be a squares.

ZOOM Fan, age 10 of AL wrote:
We found that out of 20 fifth grade students, 13 were squares and 7 were rectangles. Da Vinci may have been right!!

Jack of NF wrote:
I'm a sqaure yay!!!

Zachary, age 9 of Butler, PA wrote:
4 squares and 1 rectangle.

Kennedy, age 12 of Marietta, GA wrote:
When I did this, I was 153cm. I am a square. That's kind of good, I guess. My armspand is 155.

Olivia, age 8 of Seattle, WA wrote:
When I did it I thought that I was more of a square. But I found out that I was a rectangle.

Bethany, age 10 of Claymont, DE wrote:
I already know that both my little brother's and my height is 1" taller than our armspands.

Kavon, age 9 of Baton Rouge, LA wrote:
From head to toe, I was 124. 46 cm. When measured from fingertip of my longest finger to fingertip I was 134. 62 cm. I am a Rectangle.

Eva wrote:
I'm 18-year-old girl and I found out I am a square. I am about 155cm tall and my armspan is 153-154cm. That's good.

Chloe, age 13 of Bettendorf, IA wrote:
I thought I would be a rectangle becaouse I am tall and I don't feel like my arms are particularly long. I was right, but I was surprised to find that my armspan is longer than my height. I guess I have long arms after all.